Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey lauded the nomination of Peter Joseph Smith to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Smith was nominated today by President Obama.
“Peter Smith has extensive experience in criminal prosecutions and investigations and will make an excellent U.S. Attorney,” Senator Specter said. “President Obama has nominated an accomplished individual with solid credentials, and I think he will continue to serve Pennsylvania well in this important position.”
“Peter Smith has a long career of public service as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and in state government, including serving as an Assistant Attorney General,” said Senator Casey. “He has the experience, integrity and judgment to serve the people of Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania and the country with distinction.”
Smith’s nomination will now be submitted for consideration to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Senator Specter sits. If confirmed by the Committee and the full Senate, Smith will serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer of the office which oversees federal criminal and civil cases in Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania (map here).
Most recently, Smith served as Pennsylvania’s Deputy State Treasurer where he was responsible for audits and investigations from 2005-2009. From 1997-2005, Smith worked in the Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General where he headed up the Office of Special Investigations. Prior to that, Smith spent three years in Washington, D.C. serving as Deputy Chief of the Environmental Crimes Section in the US Department of Justice. In 1987, Smith was named Pennsylvania’s first Inspector General by Governor Bob Casey, Sr. where, for four years, he investigated complaints of fraud, waste and abuse of state employees in executive agencies and made criminal case referrals to US Attorneys and State Attorney. From 1976 to 1987, Smith was an Assistant US Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania where he prosecuted criminal cases relating to public corruption, fraud, environmental crime, tax fraud, and consumer protection. Smith began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia where he worked under then-District Attorney Arlen Specter from 1971 to 1973.
Smith received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law School in 1971 and graduated with a BA in English from Wilkes Barre’s King College in 1962. Smith resides in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
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